Category Archives: hot dog hunt

You voted (all 9 of you) and the results are in. Elizabites will go to Hot Doug’s for the next hot dog hunt. But we knew this already, didn’t we? The dudes at Doug’s decided to take a two week hiatus (cause they can) and reopen this Wednesday. I’m going to try to hit it up this week, so watch for pics and a full report as I finally get to check out my first encased meat emporium. ‘Bout douggone time.

I meant to post this weeks ago, but keep getting sidetracked by mystery posts and guest bloggers. I hadn’t been to a White Sox game in 10 years when I was invited to make the trek down to U.S. Cellular Field mid-September for a game that ultimately ended up being rained out. But, I did get a kelly green “Halfway to St. Patrick’s Day” Sox hat, and chance to try a killer brat from the Straight-Away Café on the first level of the Field (the best in the park, I was informed by my Sox fanatic friend, John MC). The rain poured down long after the game was called off, but we stuck around in it to sneak down to the Straight Away and experience the divine, buttery Hillshire Farms brat resting inside a steamed bun (I get it now!) and covered with a mound of juicy grilled onions. Speaking of onions, I also spotted an onsite onion dispenser, which didn’t photograph as well as I would’ve liked, but was cool nonetheless. With the Sox making the play-offs, I felt this post became timely again, but Northside readers take note: I really don’t favor either Chicago baseball team. In fact, I’m not into baseball at all, but I’m definitely into brats. Anyone know of the best brat at Wrigley? I was only there once this summer, and it was pre-Elizabites.

They may be hidden by juicy grilled onions, but they're in there

An onion topping dispenser with an old-school crank..genius!

I’ve been driving by this hot dog stand in East Village for years, and I think I realized just a few weeks ago that the place is called Duks and not Duke’s. Anyway, it’s a creepy little slice of Coney Island on an otherwise uneventful corner. It’s a 24-hour carnival-time-warp that seems to infuse summertime picnic bench chillin’ with a dog and a shake even in January, yet it also looks like a movie set that would fall over if you gave it a high-five. The other thing about Duks is that everyone seems to have a story about it. Usually that story involves a drunken pit stop from a random night at Betty’s Blue Star Lounge, or a place of respite while trying to find a taxi at Ashland and Grand in the middle of winter. Either way, the place intrigues me like those portable carnivals that set up shop in the middle of my neighborhood, Tilt-a-Whirl and all. I’ll venture in for a Duk dog soon and report back. And speaking of Duks, will someone please go to Hot Doug’s with me for chrissakes? I’ve been dreaming of duck fat french fries from the second I heard of them. Duks, 636 N. Ashland Ave., 312.733.0069; Doug’s, 3324 N. California Ave., 773.279.9550

Cozzi up to this

So there’s a sign on the door that says “No Bare Feet” and little to be desired in the way of customer service, but a friend swore by the steamed hot dogs (and buns) at Cozzi Corner Hot Dogs and Beef in Downer’s Grove, so I had to check ’em out. The Vienna beef dogs were pretty good, but what with steamed buns? I didn’t get it. I also didn’t get some other items on the menu like “pizza puff,” “gravy bread” and “tamale on a bun,” but did it really matter? They had Green River on tap. Serious. 75th and Lemont, Downer’s Grove, IL 630-241-4799.

Fountain of youth